Now That's Magic
by aaw-posts
Summary: In his final year at Hogwarts, James Potter has grown up some. Already intelligent, James's new sense of maturity attracts fellow classmate, Y/N. When neither knows of the other's feelings of attraction, Lily Evans takes things into her own hands to spark their relationship. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to their own respective owners. I do not receive money for this writing. No copyright infringement intended.**

You sat in the Gryffindor common room, trying to do your first Transfiguration assignment of the year. As a seventh year student, having a NEWTs classes weren't any fun, and they weren't very easy either.

As you finished reading the same paragraph for the eighth time that hour, a pack of rowdy, obnoxious teenage boys traipsed into the common room through the portrait hole. Smelly, loud, and very distracting, the Gryffindor Quidditch team had just come in from finishing their first practice.

You rolled your eyes, and looking straight ahead once more, noticed James Potter, the new Captain of the Quidditch team, who also happened to be one of your friends. He's the only one on the Quidditch team who hadn't - and still hadn't - disrupted your once quiet environment. Not too much, anyway. Looking at him again, you realized how much he'd actually grown up since the last school year. He just seemed so much more mature now. You liked it.

You were pleasantly surprised by these thoughts. You smiled softly and shook your head lightly. It wasn't until James was walking over that you realized you'd never looked away from him and he'd noticed you staring.

Quickly, you looked down, now trying to conceal your slightly reddening cheeks before he noticed.

But he did.

"Hey, Y/N."

"James," you nod.

He smiles but doesn't say anything. He looks at your textbook and the parchments you have sprawled about you.

"Doing McGonagall's homework, I see."

"Yeah," you sighed. "It's the first assignment and already it's killing me."

"Really? Did you want some help with it? I've already finished mine."

"What? Seriously? It's so difficult, though! You're already done with it?"

"Yeah. Completely finished," James laughed.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done to James Potter?" you demanded playfully, teasing.

"Ha, ha," James replied, rolling his eyes but grinning all the same. "I know, I know, I've finished my work, I'm so weird now. Such a 'nerd'. I've already heard it all from Sirius and all the surprise from Remus," he laughed.

Though you teased him, you were honestly shocked. At this time last year, James wouldn't have been finished with a school assignment this quickly - he'd have found Remus Lupin and copied off some of his work if he planned on doing any of it at all. Hearing that James had finished the assignment while you still struggled with it surprised you. It wasn't that he wasn't smart but that he'd actually chosen to do the work so quickly. That he wasn't being as lazy as he wanted to seem the past school years.

"I want to be an Auror when we leave here," James spoke. "When we graduate from Hogwarts. All the NEWTs and the career stuff. It's all so much. We're finally becoming adults. I haven't really acted like I cared before, but I have to at least try now, you know? It's this year that counts, right?"

You nod at James, smiling. "You doing your homework is still a shock though," you wink, laughing. "No matter how very adult you want to be."

He laughs, then asks, "What part don't you understand? Maybe I can help you."

"Um, well, we're learning about Animagi, right now, right? So this part right here -" you point to the paragraph in your textbook, "- is what I don't get. How does this part of the process affect, well, the entire rest of it?"

James laughs, then looks at the page in your textbook. He sits in the chair next to you and reads over your notes and the page you're on.

And he tutors you. For hours. And you understood every bit of it. Every word he said and every process he described because he had broken it down for you. He helped you to understand.

And it isn't until your impromptu tutoring session is already over and James is saying goodnight that you realize he truly has grown up. He really has matured.

And the most shocking part is that you actually quite like it.

Quite like him.

* * *

It was December, and you and James have already spent plenty of time together in your tutoring sessions. You really have improved, in all subjects. He really was helping you, not just in Transfigurations but in every other subject as well, even the ones you'd stopped taking. And he really was a great tutor, much to your surprise.

At this point, your small crush on James from the beginning of the year had become a much bigger one. Now, you looked forward to your tutoring sessions with him just to have an excuse to spend time together.

James continued tutoring you, but being the smart - and now much more helpful - person he was, he'd also started helping out a couple of other students, too. Right now he was helping out a second year with learning the Disarming Charm. The second year boy was having trouble casting the spell and James had stood in the middle of the common room trying to teach him for the past hour and a half.

"Okay, I'll stand here and we'll pretend we're dueling, all right? Then you'll Disarm me." James looked at the boy, who nodded.

"Alright, let's try this then."

"Expelliarmus!" the boy shouted. There was a loud crack and the boy flew backward a couple meters. James rushed over, helping the boy up.

"Okay, maybe try holding your wand differently," he suggested. "That might be what's wrong."

"Oh, what's the point?" the boy cried out, frustrated. "I'm absolute rubbish at this! We've been trying for hours and I still haven't gotten any better!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you'll get this! It's just a matter of practice and effort, right? You have to practice stuff like this for years sometimes for it to work, right Y/N?" James looked at you, smiling. His smile was both a sweet one and one that said he needed your help to prove his point.

"Yes, of course!" you agreed. "It took me years to master this charm, don't worry. Here, let's try it again? I'll help you this time."

You walked over to the second year and stood behind him. James started rolling his sleeves up and unbuttoning the top of his shirt, getting ready to be hit by the Disarming Charm.

The second year said something to you but you hadn't heard it at all. You were too busy staring at James's muscular forearms. There was no point in denying it. At that moment, he was absolutely hot. You could see his forearms and his broad shoulders and his biceps, relaxed but still huge under the looser fabric of his uniform shirt, all toned from days on the Quidditch pitch. Your mind had started taking you down a dirty path when you finally snapped back into reality.

The second year spoke again and nudged you. "Y/N? How could I do this part better?"

"Huh? Sorry," you replied, slightly embarrassed that you were caught staring again - and caught daydreaming about all the things James could do. You shook your head, determined to help the second year instead of daydream about James some more. "Okay, hold your wand like this - " you adjusted the way the boy gripped his wand, " - and you move your arm out away from your body like this as you say the spell." You held the boy's wrist and guided his movement.

"Alright, now let's try it, yeah? I'll guide you through this one and then why don't you try the next on your own?"

"Okay," he agrees, wiping one hand on his pant leg. He was nervous.

You guided his arm and made sure he held his wand correctly. As you guided his movements, he shouted "Expelliarmus!" James's wand flew out of his hand.

"Great! You did it! See, I knew you could!" James exclaimed. "It was just in your wand technique!"

"Merlin, I did do it! Okay, can I try it again? Please? I want to see if I can do it again!"

"Alright then, let's go! Let me grab my wand again!"

James ran to pick up his wand and returned to his previous place.

You moved away from both boys and returned to only watching from one of the sofas. Once more, your mind wandered - mostly around the subject of James.

"Ready? Go!" James shouted.

"Expelliarmus!"

James's wand flew out of his hand once more, falling towards you. You reached up and plucked it from its trajectory then turned to the bouncing second year.

"I did it! I really did it! Thank you so much, both of you! I have to go find Flitwick and show him! I got a P in class 'cause I couldn't do it earlier. Thank you!" the second year exclaims. He ran and hugged you, now nearly jumping and skipping to grab his things. He shook James's hand and ran off to find Flitwick, still bouncy and hyper from his success.

James looked at you, grinning, and you laughed. You walked over, holding out his wand. "I believe this is yours," you smiled.

"Thank you, my lady," James said, winking. "You're pretty good at this tutoring thing. Couldn't have done this without you," he smiled, delivering a swift kiss to your cheek.

As he walked away, you felt your cheeks flaming and a tingle where his lips touched your face. It's at this point that you realized that you were really in deep with this crush.

* * *

Now, it's Christmas Eve, and most of the seventh year Gryffindors had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. The Marauders, Prewett twins, and Frank Longbottom had stayed, as well as Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon and yourself.

It was evening on Christmas Eve and almost everyone sat in front of the fireplace in the common room. You were upstairs in your dormitory, getting a jumper before heading back down to the common room, still feeling cold, but now much warmer than before.

At the bottom of the stairs, you bump into James. Since a couple of weeks ago with helping the second year, you'd been a little more tongue-tied around him. The kiss on your cheek had made you realize that you really did have feelings for him. You couldn't help the fluttering in your stomach when you saw him, or the blush that covered your cheeks like it did now.

"Sorry!" you both say at the same time.

James laughs. "Sorry for bumping into you. You're alright?" he asks.

"Yeah, fine," you reply. "I was rushing down so I just didn't see -"

"OI!" Sirius shouts, grinning mischievously. "Why aren't you two kissing yet?"

You and James look at each other, confused, then everyone else, asking silently for an explanation.

Fabian Prewett laughs. "Mistletoe! Come on, James, kiss the girl!" he cheers.

Everyone looks above the two of you. You look up and realize that they were right - there was mistletoe hanging right above you. You return your gaze to James and see him looking at his friends, shaking his head and laughing. He looks at you, shrugs, and gives you a kiss on the cheek, on the very same spot he'd kissed two weeks ago. As he walks over to the couches, you feel yourself blushing, thankful that the only light at the moment came from the fireplace, far from you.

You walk over and sit in between Lily and Marlene on a couch. You're still smiling a bit from James's brief kiss.

Marlene nudges you playfully. "So did you enjoy that kiss, Y/N?" she teases.

"I'll bet she did!" Lily jumps in, giggling. "She's still blushing about it. Kiss on the cheek was that steamy for you, eh?"

"Oh, shut up, both of you," you laugh, embarrassed. "It was just a kiss on the cheek." You can feel yourself blushing now and just shake your head, looking down. You're all quiet for a bit.

"Oh, you like him, don't you?" Lily inquires, serious, surprised, and quieter.

"What? No, I don't!" you splutter.

"You do!" Marlene gasps.

"No! No, I don't!" you try to defend yourself but it's pointless. Both Lily and Marlene could already tell that you did indeed like James.

"Okay, fine! Maybe just a little bit," you give in.

Lily squeals and everyone turns to look at her. She blushes, giggling now that she's accidentally attracted everyone's attention.

"Oh, nothing. Just turn back to your conversations now," she says, waving them off.

"You like James!" Marlene singsongs.

"Yeah, okay fine, yes I do, but just try not to let the whole world know, yeah?" you laugh. "I just, I mean, he just really grew up this year, you know? I don't know, I just really like that."

"Yeah, well, so do a lot of other girls!" Lily says. "So you need to get a move on before they do."

"But he'll never like me," you argue as if it were obvious. " He never would've, even if he didn't change like he did this year. And all those other girls he'd probably like so much more -"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Marlene cuts you off, giving you a warning glare. "You are amazing and wonderful and you'd make a great girlfriend and any guy who doesn't realize that is a right stupid prat. James would be crazy not to like you, am I understood?"

"But - "

"No 'buts'," Lily cut in. "You heard Mar. And don't argue. She's right."

You open your mouth and Lily's eyebrows shoot up as if daring you to disagree. "Thank you," you say slowly, carefully, so as not to argue more. "I think I'm just gonna go to bed though."

"But you just came down!" Lily exclaimed.

"I know, I just - I just kind of want to go to bed right now, okay? Wake me up at midnight, yeah?"

"Yeah. Sure, okay," Marlene says.

As soon as you're upstairs and out of earshot, Lily turns to Marlene. They both want to say something but neither of them knows what. So they turn and join the conversation the boys are having instead.

* * *

"I kind of want some hot chocolate," says Gideon out of the blue.

"Hot chocolate? But dinner's already long since finished. Where are you gonna get that?" Frank asks. The Prewetts look at each other, then simultaneously smirk. "That's alright, we'll find a way. Anyone else wants some?" Gideon is already getting up.

"Uh, yeah, actually, I'll take one please," Remus replies.

"Me too," Lily seconds.

"Yeah, I'll take one," Sirius speaks.

"Okay, how about just a whole round for everyone? We'll just have to hurry back, it's already half eleven," James says, looking at everyone for confirmation. "I'll come with you, to help carry everything," he nods to the Prewetts.

The three boys are starting to walk to the portrait hole when James adds, "Let's make sure to get one for Y/N, too, alright?"

Gideon nods. "Yeah, of course. Can't forget your lady," Fabian teases.

"Shut up," James laughs. "She's not my lady."

"Isn't that what you called her though? What was it, two weeks ago?" Gideon joins in.

"Oh, he's blushing!" Fabian continues, laughing, and then all three boys are out of the portrait hole.

Sirius chuckles, shaking his head, and is about to start another conversation when Lily asks, "Does James like Y/N?"

Everyone was quiet for a few moments.

"Well, who are you asking?" Remus responds carefully.

Lily arched an eyebrow, inquisitive about Remus's response. "No one in particular," she finally replies. "Everyone in general, really. Well, does he?" she asks, trying vainly to conceal her hope for her friend.

The three remaining Marauders all look at one another as if silently communicating.

"Yeah," Sirius finally lets out. "Been trying to get him to ask her out already but he won't. He's liked her since Halloween at least."

This time, it's Marlene who squeals. "Okay, okay, we have to tell her!"

"What?! No!" Sirius cuts in.

"Wait, Sirius," Remus cuts in. He looks at Lily and Marlene. "What are you saying? That she likes him back?"

"Yes!" Lily and Marlene exclaim in unison. They giggle, then Lily continues, smiling. "Okay Y/N likes James and James likes her. So why haven't they gone on a date yet?"

"James is too scared she'll say no," Frank answers.

"Hmm," is all Lily says, thinking.

They're all quiet for a moment, pensive, and then almost everyone gradually turns to start another conversation, still watching Lily from the corners fo their eyes, as if they're still pondering James and Y/N too.

Besides Lily, only Remus hadn't joined the conversation. He walks over to her and sits down next to her.

"What are you thinking about?" he starts.

"James and Y/N," Lily answers vaguely.

"What about them?"

"How are we going to get them together? They both like each other so why not just date?"

"They're both scared of rejection."

"Why? They both so obviously like each other!"

"Not that obviously! We both only found out that they liked each other tonight!"

Lily opens her mouth as if to argue, then thinks better of it and just nods.

They're both quiet for a while, pondering how to finally get their two friends together.

"We're the tops of our classes, we're magical beings, and we can't think of a way to get two people together. How pitiful," Lily remarks, staring at the fire as if it would provide an answer.

"This is a different kind of magic," Remus replies. "They just need to realize they like each other. Or kiss. Or something."

Lily looks up then, intuition familiarly flickering behind her eyes. "Magic," she breathes out, grinning. She turns to Remus, who looks at her curiously, but she only smiles.

* * *

At ten till midnight, James and the Prewett twins returned from the kitchens with ten hot chocolates. Each boy was carrying a tray of mugs filled to the top with steaming liquid, topped with a swirl of whipped cream and tiny marshmallows. Each Gryffindor then walked carefully to a table in the common room to put their trays down.

"It's almost midnight. I'm going to wake up Y/N, okay?" Marlene says. She gets up and heads up the girls' staircase.

Lily looks at Remus, grinning, determined, resolved and just a bit mischievous. He has no idea what she's planning.

James and the Prewetts pass out the hot chocolates and James asks, "Where's Y/N?"

Remus grins and Lily replies. "Mar's waking her up right now," she says.

"Oh," James nods.

"Subtle," Sirius coughs into his fist and coughs some more. "Sorry, I think I'm starting to catch a cold or something," he grins and coughs again to prove his point.

James smiles sarcastically and glares. "Whatever," he laughs, blushing slightly.

Marlene walks down the stairs followed by you, who's busy rubbing your eyes groggily. You move to the couch, sitting down, too lazy and tired to stand.

James's eyes trail after you until he makes himself move and look away. "We brought you some hot chocolate," Gideon says, pointing to the table where James is standing next to the trays, where only one hot chocolate is left. "Oh, thanks," you reply, getting up to grab it. You steel yourself, trying not to be nervous and make it awkward between you and James, knowing your face - and your friends - might give you away.

You walk over, smiling at James. "Hey," you say. "Hey, back," James replies. "Almost Christmas."

"Almost Christmas," you confirm.

You take a sip of your drink, tasting the sweet savoriness of the hot chocolate.

"Oi James, help me start passing out the gifts?" Sirius shouts from across the common room, standing next to the Christmas tree.

"Yeah!" James shouts back. He looks at you, smiles, puts down his mug of chocolate and jogs across the common room to help Sirius with the presents.

You watch him move around the common room, giving everyone their gifts, walking back and forth. You watch him make little jokes with Sirius across the room and once again realize how strongly you have feelings for him - this absolute idiot who happens to be a secret genius; this prankster who's an absolute sweetheart. You sigh, realizing once again that James was too good to be with you. You want to do something to tell him how you feel but you have no idea what - but letting him know your feelings for him had to be better than doing nothing, right? You're so lost in your thoughts that you don't realize James is actually standing in front of you trying to hand you your small pile of Christmas gifts.

"Y/N?" James asks again.

"Oh!" you start. You put down your drink and take the small pile of gifts from James. "Sorry. Just thinking. Kind of zoned out a bit, you know? Thank you," you say, referring to your gifts. "Yeah," James smiles. "It's almost midnight," you hear him remark.

As if on cue, Sirius stands up on the couch, looking at his watch. "And it's Christmas in 20 seconds!"

* * *

Lily looks over at you and James talking as Sirius stands up on the couch nearest to her. ". . . Christmas in 20 seconds!" she hears. She sees James lean a bit closer to you, still looking ahead.

"10 seconds!" Sirius shouts, starting to count down.

Remus watches Lily intently, wondering what she's planning on doing.

* * *

You and James are both counting down with Sirius, though neither of you knows why - it was Christmas you were celebrating, not New Year. You're at ten seconds left when James says "Let's dance," quite randomly. He pulls you into his arms and starts twirling you around. He waltzes around the common room with you pulled close.

You laugh out loud. "James, what are we doing?!" you laugh as he spins with you.

"Dancing! Come on, it'll be fun!" he says, laughing along. "We'll dance until it's Christmas!"

All eyes are on the pair of you now, their attention attracted by your sudden raucous laughter. Sirius continues, " . . . 7 . . . 6 . . ."

* * *

Lily is surprised by your unexpected - and abrupt - dancing, but only smiles. It just makes her plan that much easier. "6 . . . 5 . . ." she hears.

Remus, still staring at Lily, still wonders what she's up to when she pulls out her wand. She points her wand at you and James dancing around in each other's arms. "4 . . . 3 . . ." Sirius goes on. Lily whispers something under her breath and suddenly James trips over the rug.

* * *

"3 . . . 2 . . ." you hear Sirius shouting, and suddenly you're falling and James is falling above you. You see his shocked face and then you blink. And then you feel the floor on your back and the pressure of James's weight on top of you and . . .

* * *

"2 . . . 1 . . ." Remus watches you fall first, and James falls on top of you. " . . . 0!" Sirius shouts, and you and James have finally landed completely. James's body covers yours and both your faces are close together, shocked and wide-eyed . . . because his lips have somehow landed on yours.

With Remus and Marlene next to her, Lily whispered, "And that's how they'll get together."

And as both you and James lay on the ground, lips pressed together in your accidental kiss, Lily stood, grinning and triumphant, grabbing the first gift off her pile. And she whispered to Remus, "Now _that's_ magic."

\- A.A.W


End file.
